Rieserferner Group

The name is not coincidentally derived from the glacier formation Rieserferner in the Austrian-Italian border area.

The mountain range in the central Eastern Alps includes approximately thirty peaks that exceed the three-thousand-meter mark. The highest peak is the Hochgall, the "high, shining mountain", with its 3,436 meters. Another equally noble name is the “King of Rieserferner”. Respect is also required if you want to climb the summit. Due to block climbing, crampon sections, and sections with snow and ice, it is difficult to climb from almost any side. Favorable weather conditions are required. But all the effort is rewarded with a breathtaking panorama - the view extends to the Zillertal Alps, the Dolomites, as well as to the Großglockner and the Großvenediger.

Other impressive peaks of the Rieserferner group are the Schneebige Nock (3,358 meters) and the Wildgall (3,273 meters), both of which stand out with their striking pyramid shape, as well as the Magerstein (also 3,273 meters), which is ideal for ski and snowshoe tours.

In the area of the Rieserferner group, several, generally not yet overcrowded, mountain huts offer good supply:

The Barmer Hut (2,610 meters) is located in an extensive ski touring area. A climbing wall awaits you directly in front of the hut. It can be reached from the parking lot at Patscher Alm through the Patscher Tal (about 2.5 hours). The path from Obersee at Staller Sattel over the Jägerscharte is a bit more difficult (about 3 hours).

Also known under its old name "Hochgallhütte" is the Kasseler Hut (2,274 meters). From Rein in Taufers, you can reach the hut in about 2 hours. The ascent from Antholz over the Antholzer Scharte is a bit more strenuous (about 6 hours). You have the choice in front of the hut - do you climb Hochgall, Schneebiger Nock, Magerstein, Wildgall, Hochflachkofel or Lenkstein? The hut landlord will strengthen you beforehand with a snack, bacon dumplings, or gray cheese dishes.

Not far from the Rieserferner Hut (2,798 meters), textile remains from the Hallstatt period were found in the early 1990s - the so-called "Rieserferner find". Today, the hut is the starting point for via ferrata tours and hiking tours, accessible from Rein in Taufers in 4 hours, from Antholz in 3.5 hours. The summit of the Gelttalspitze can be conquered from here in just under an hour.

The Rieserferner group is in famous surroundings, as it not only borders the Venediger group and the Dolomites, but also the Zillertal Alps and the Villgratner Berge. Some natural connections help with the crossing to other mountain ranges. This includes the Klammljoch, which links the Rieserferner group to the Venediger group, but also the Staller Sattel as a link to the Villgratner Berge.

The Rieserferner group is almost entirely located in the protected Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park with its extensive high mountain landscapes, mixed needle forests, alpine meadows, barren rocks and gravel plains, but also many glaciers.

Characteristic of the park are the numerous waterfalls, mountain streams, and lakes, such as the Antholzer See, which can be circumnavigated in about 1.5 hours on a nature experience trail.
By the way, the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park directly adjoins the Hohe Tauern National Park.